


Reunited

by scurvaliciousbay



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Because the gays deserve better, Erika Ryder, F/M, Fix-It, Fix-it fic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Spoilers, also jaal is great for emotional support yes good, happy ending for the turians because i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 15:49:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10516884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scurvaliciousbay/pseuds/scurvaliciousbay
Summary: Avitus and Macen were in love. And then the Scourge happened. But now...there is hope.





	

Climbing aboard the turian ark had left Erika feeling one way.

 

_ Shit. _

 

Yep, that was it. That was the emotion. The emotion of shit. It wasn’t just the loss of Macen Barro, Pathfinder, but the loss of Macen himself was just...him and Avitus really loved each other. Like really loved each other. Avitus was still reeling enough to be in disbelief about his new Pathfinder status and the loss of his love and she really couldn’t blame him. 

 

After Avitus left to go process on his own, Erika instructed SAM to replay some of the happier memories from childhood. Her own memories, enhanced by the AI her father made...even though her father was often conspicuously absent in these memories. But there was Scott, and there was Mom. She had him keep running the memories well into sleep so that she could dream of Earth and when not everything depended on her and a few other select individuals. 

 

She woke feeling nostalgic but better and for the most part, things returned to normal. They returned to Elaaden to help with a dispute between Nakmor and Nexus and continued to be a pathfinder. It wasn’t until they were cruising by a system adjacent to the one where they had found the turian ark that SAM pinged in her head.

 

“I am picking up readings from a Kett ship.”

 

“Oh great, just what we needed - more Kett.”

 

“Ryder, I am sensing that this vessel is adrift. Its power is malfunctioning.”

 

“Well, shit, probably should check that out. Suvi, tell Vetra and Liam to suit up, we have a ship to investigate.” She stepped down from the bridge and headed back into the loadout room. 

 

An hour later and they jumping out of the Tempest and onto the top of the Kett ship. SAM immediately set to investigating the processes of the ship, telling her to use the hatch on the left to infiltrate the ship. Alright, alright, here they go. 

 

No alarms. Huh. Weiiiird.

 

“This appears to be a mainly scientific vessel, dedicated to scientific transport,” SAM said and Erika nodded.

 

“Alright, then where is everyone?” 

 

“It appears you have entered during the sleep cycle.”

 

“Wait, are you telling me we lucked out for once?” 

 

“It appears so, Pathfinder.” 

 

The good news had to come eventually! They continued through the ship, only finding stray wraiths that were dispatched easily enough. The tougher bit came when the security woke up - but it wasn’t even that bad either. A couple of Anointed, lots of Chosen but...that was it. They moved through what felt like an abandoned ship until they came to the main chamber - full of turians.

 

Vetra stiffened but remained quiet, but Erika knew. This was  _ bad _ , very bad. 

 

They were all in their stasis pods though...which...what?

 

The Turian Ark was hurt by the Scourge which means...oh. 

 

“It appears that several of the Turians on the Ark were able to launch their escape pods out after being hit by the Scourge. Scanning the pods could reveal who they are.” More good news? Potentially? 

 

“SAM, alert the Tempest that we have about...twelve stasis pods that will need to transported back to the Nexus.”

 

“Yes, Pathfinder.”

 

“Now let’s see who’s in here…” while she set to scanning the pods, Vetra and Liam circled the room investigating various datapads and audiologs. This was not exactly a research vessel, but a research  _ transport  _ vessel, meant for scientific reconnaissance on the newly arrived Milky Way species. Freaky. And amazing that they happened to stumble upon it, she would hate to fight exalted Turians. Talk about things that suck. 

 

When she came to the last pod, she frowned.

 

“This...looks different from the others.”

 

“Scanning…Pathfinder, that is Macen Barro.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“But this pod belongs to Ettius Cax who was determined to be deceased on the Turian Ark.”

 

“So was Macen! What is -

 

“It appears that someone put him in the pod before he could fully succumb to his injuries.”

 

“Wait, you’re not saying -

 

“He is alive, Pathfinder.”

 

“Alert Avitus immediately, SAM, he needs to know.” What kind of luck is this? Good? Miraculous, really. 

 

After securing the ship, they set to transporting the pods as carefully as possible onto the Tempest, taking special care with Macen’s. Someone in the other pods was likely a hero, saving their Pathfinder….

 

Oh man, Avitus was gonna  _ flip.  _

 

They brought Macen’s pod into the med-bay where Lexi immediately began to scan and run protocols through the pods to try and repair as much as damage as she could while he was in emergency cryo stasis. His bleeding had stopped, but he needed a transfusion, which was a very odd process to do through a pod. Medi-gel was the best thing they could do for his wounds, instructing the pod to inject as much of it as was advised. 

 

By the time Avitus’s shuttle made it to the Tempest, Macen’s vitals had improved greatly.

 

She stood on the bridge, unable to keep the smile off her face as a clearly excited Avitus strode onto her ship.

 

“Ryder, they are saying you found him, how -

 

“Honestly, no idea! But he’s here and alive somehow.”

 

Avitus’s eyes widened, mandibles twitched just before he bolted for the med-bay.

 

“Downstairs, make a left!” Erika called, following him quickly.

 

Avitus stood over Macen’s pod in disbelief. His hand rested on the fogged glass, the orange of his omni-tool flaring as it scanned the pod over and over again, confirming exactly who it was.

 

“How...dammit Macen,” he said but there was relief and love in his voice. He leaned forward, pressing his brow plates to the glass of the pod. 

 

“Live, you hear me? I lost you once, I am not doing that again.” 

 

“We need to get him to the Nexus so we can be more prepared to address the seriousness of his injuries, but I would say his prognosis is optimistic,” Lexi said softly. She began to show Avitus everything they had discovered about Macen’s condition, going over all of the possible routes they could take to revive him. 

 

“He won’t be able to be the Pathfinder, but he will be able to live.”

 

“That is enough, of course,” Avitus quickly assured her. 

 

Arrangements had to be made for Avitus to stay on the Tempest with Macen while his shuttle was brought with them to the Nexus. Vetra took it up and they all jumped to FTL to make it back to the Nexus. 

 

With Avitus semi-reunited with a somehow alive Macen and the flight path indicating several more hours before they would reach the Nexus, Erika retired to her room. Her large, empty room. 

 

Hm.

 

She pinged Jaal and moments later he was in her room, lounging on the sofa with her. She pulled her legs up under her and leaned against him. They weren’t so sure of what they were yet, but this...this was nice.

 

“I can’t believe we found Macen, it’s amazing.”

 

“Yes, it’s good to see something hopeful after everything. I’m glad to see Avitus reunited with his lover, that must be…”

 

“Emotional?” She supplied and he smiled.

 

“Yes. And how are you feeling? You took the state of the turian ark very hard.”

 

“I’m...something?”

 

“Ryder,” he coaxed.

 

“Fine, okay, I’m happy that they’re together. Amazed. Relieved. Also, I want to be there at the wedding. I hear turian weddings are the  _ bomb. _ ”

 

“They’re explosive?”

 

“Uh no, they’re fun. Turian culture is based on hierarchy and they are often very structured, but weddings...weddings are one of the few occasions where they break loose of that and have fun. They call it madness, I call it a party.” 

 

“Angaran weddings are large and emotional. There is dancing, food, singing, crying - it lasts for days. It is good to hear that turians are able to experience something like that.”

 

“Yeah, it is.” 

 

They talked for a long time before she found herself falling asleep….against him. Because that’s not weird for their ‘whatever the heck this is’ relationship. At least she knew he wouldn’t mind her snoring.

 

When she woke to SAM prodding her awake (a built in alarm clock, both a blessing and a curse), Jaal was also asleep, snoring and soft and so handsome it made her want to kiss him awake. Because that was appropriate. They flirted, they hugged, they apparently slept on each other, did they kiss? 

 

Relationships, what even?

 

She removed herself from Jaal as gently as possible as to not wake him. She had Macen and Avitus to check up on and to clear docking for the Tempest. Avitus was slumped over Macen’s pod, snoozing in what looked to be an impossibly uncomfortable position. But hey, she wasn’t a turian man who was just reunited with the love of his life - she supposed that this discomfort was minor compared to what he felt before.

 

He woke suddenly, probably because of his own SAM and immediately scanned Macen for vtials. All normal and good.

 

The Tempest docked at the Nexus and then the real action began. Twelve medical teams met them at the dock, one for each pod. The one for Macen immediately whisked him off to the turian medical center, Avitus following them closely, explaining as much as he could. Lexi also accompanied them to explain what she knew as well. Erika followed for Avitus, she figured that with Macen’s surely upcoming surgery, the man was going to need a shoulder to lean on. 

 

And as predicted, Macen was whisked into immediate surgery, pod and all. They didn’t want to waste time by taking him out of the pod and then transporting him, so...straight to the OR. 

 

“Sir, you have to wait out here so the doctors can do their jobs.”

 

“He’s more than my former Pathfinder, please, you have to -

 

“Avitus, they understand, they’re going to do everything in their power to save Macen. The best thing you can do now is let them do that without distractions,” Erika said softly, resting a comforting hand on Avitus’s shoulder. His mandible flared in agitation but he nodded and sat down.

 

“You’re right. This...I’m not usually like this.”

 

“Makes sense, not every day the love of your life is brought back from the dead.” 

 

Avitus gave a short chuckle, “Thank you for...everything. Even if...just this...you gave him a chance.”

 

“Hey, we’re Pathfinders, kinda what we do, give chances.” 

 

For the next ten hours, Erika stayed by Avitus’s side as the team worked to save Macen’s life. It was a long,  _ looooong  _ ten hours, but they managed to get through it. Even with the long pauses. Various Tempest crew members and turians made their way to them over those ten hours, giving words of encouragement, thanking them for being Pathfinders, thanking her for finding Macen. Even Kandros stopped by, happy to hear the good news. 

 

At the end of the ten hours, an exhausted turian woman walked out into the waiting room. She pulled off her scrub cap and sighed. 

 

“Oh no, he can’t! I just -

 

“He’s alive! Sorry, sorry, I’m exhausted, he tried to die three times. But he’s alive, stable, good vitals.”

 

All of the tension in Avitus’s body lifted, shoulders and plates relaxing and Erika is pretty sure that his sub-vocals were doing something because the turian woman nodded.

 

“You can see him now.”

 

He practically  _ ran  _ to Macen’s side. The anesthesia was still in effect, but he was breathing without the use of a tube and the steady beeping of the monitor let them all know he was alive and he was going to get better.

 

“Macen,” Avitus sighed, pressing his forehead plates to Macen’s.

 

It was another hour before Macen began to rouse from the anesthesia. He grunted and moaned, making Avitus’s mandibles twitch and brow plates move in what Erika suspected was turian affection mixed with disbelief and concern. And then Macen turned towards Avitus and opened his eyes.

 

“Avi?”

 

Erika had no idea turians could cry, but there Avitus went, crying softly as he rested his forehead against Macen’s.

 

“I thought I lost you.”

 

And that was her cue to leave. This was their private moment, besides she was feeling a bit...emotional herself. She sniffled as longing, nostalgia, and plain old missing filled her. She made her way to the Hyperin cryobay and took seat next to Scott.

 

“Hey, baby bro,” she started, “I just wanted to let you know that if you don’t make it, I’ll kill you. Dad’s gone, he can’t come back, we  _ know  _ that, but you? You can, so do it. This is your older sister talking, okay? There are people you need to meet, an entire galaxy to see. So...get better already.” The sniffles grew until she had to blow her nose and then the real crying began. She cried over her little brother while telling him all about the things she and her crew had been up to.

 

She told him about Avitus and Macen. About Jaal. 

 

He didn’t wake up but by the end of it, she felt...a bit better. Clearer. Maybe...that’s what Jaal always meant about staying clear. Let yourself feel so you can be clear headed. 

 

“SAM, remind me to thank Jaal later,” she said, her voice hoarse from all her gross sobbing.

 

“Yes, Pathfinder.”

 

“How are Avitus and Macen?”

 

“Macen Barro is predicted to recover, though he will likely need a double hip replacement soon so he can walk.”

 

“But he’s alive, and with Avitus.”

 

“Yes.”

  
And sometimes, the details weren’t what mattered, but the bigger picture. Avitus and Macen were reunited and it gave her hope that maybe Scott would wake up too. That she wouldn’t feel so alone in this new galaxy. 

**Author's Note:**

> And there's my first contribution to this fandom! Huzzah! I got so emotional about this story line. Avitus and Macen love each other so much, they deserve better so I gave them better. Live well, men, and please invite Erika to the wedding, she's great at weddings. Anyways, please leave kudos, comment, bookmark - let me know what you think! Was also cross-posted to my tumblr (scurvgirl).


End file.
